Mitchell a Strong Leader of the Count Basie Band

Grover Mitchell, who has been leading the Count Basie Band for more than five years, insists that the ensemble not be described as a “ghost band.” The group’s performance at Segerstrom Hall in the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Friday night clearly defined why he feels that way. Ghost bands--groups that continue to exist as musical entities, under new direction, after the original leader passes away (think Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, etc.)--rarely possess the of vital adventurousness displayed by the Basie Band under Mitchell.

Ironically, the most compelling performances were almost all associated with Basie classics--”Li’l Darling,” “April in Paris,” “Cute,” “Basie” and the like. Unlike more typical ghost-band renderings in which pieces are run down by rote, often repeating note-for-note the solos from the originals, the Basie players’ versions of these items were galvanized by driving rhythm, hard-swinging solos and powerhouse ensemble passages.

The list of players moving to the microphone to display their improvisational magic included saxophonists Kenny Hing and Jackie Kelson, drummer Butch Miles and pianist Tony Suggs. Vocalist Jamie Davis added dark-hued vocals on “You Are Too Beautiful” and “Autumn Leaves,” his singing distinctly, and pleasantly, reminiscent of the late great Joe Williams.

A substantial part of the program, however, made far less use of the Basie Band. Drawing from the group’s recording “Count Plays Duke,” the ensemble performed with the Pacific Symphony Pops, balancing the Basie rhythmic groove with the symphony’s elegant strings. The arrangements, by Allyn Ferguson, who conducted the symphony portions, were well crafted and well played.

But the sheer vitality of another Basie item, “In a Mellow Tone,” arranged by Frank Foster, underscored the superfluousness of the symphonic passages. Given that performances such as this open up a large arena of possibilities, one couldn’t help but wish that a larger portion of the program had been allocated to a pure, unadulterated performance by Basie ensemble.